The Penguins fell to 0-9 in goaltender interference challenges in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over the Senators, challenging Drake Batherson's tying goal in the third period:
Claude Giroux had a foot in the blue paint when he made contact with Stuart Skinner's stick, just before Batherson scored. The NHL ruled that "video review supported the referees’ call on the ice that the incidental contact between Ottawa forward Claude Giroux and Pittsburgh goaltender Stuart Skinner did not affect Skinner’s ability to play his position prior to Drake Batherson’s goal."
To be clear: The NHL isn't arguing whether there was contact. The league just didn't think it mattered. Skinner disagreed.
"I don't even know if it's gray, really," he said. "I think that from a goalie perspective, I think a lot of goalies would say that it probably was goalie interference, just because (the puck) sneaks through my right arm, and (Giroux) kind of has my stick on me. If I'm able to close my arm, the puck isn't going to go anywhere, and it's just no rebound. So that's the thing."
Skinner, though, was also understanding of why the situation room in Toronto might not have seen that his way.
"For somebody to watch that, it's hard for them to tell if they're not a goalie," he said. "You know, from a goalie standpoint, you probably see that a little bit more and understand that it's a little bit tougher situation. If you're not a goalie, you're probably like, 'That probably doesn't affect anything.'"
Dan Muse, now very experienced in losing goaltender interference challenges, shrugged off the latest failed challenge. He and the team are used to handling them by now.
"There's contact there, I felt like it affected the play," Muse said. "The way that he spins, he gets his stick, that impacts the goalie's ability to make the save. The league didn't see it that way. And so we move on. It's a miss. The guys go out there, they kill a penalty, and we continue the game."
THE ASYLUM
That's 0-9 on goalie interference
The Penguins fell to 0-9 in goaltender interference challenges in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over the Senators, challenging Drake Batherson's tying goal in the third period:
Claude Giroux had a foot in the blue paint when he made contact with Stuart Skinner's stick, just before Batherson scored. The NHL ruled that "video review supported the referees’ call on the ice that the incidental contact between Ottawa forward Claude Giroux and Pittsburgh goaltender Stuart Skinner did not affect Skinner’s ability to play his position prior to Drake Batherson’s goal."
To be clear: The NHL isn't arguing whether there was contact. The league just didn't think it mattered. Skinner disagreed.
"I don't even know if it's gray, really," he said. "I think that from a goalie perspective, I think a lot of goalies would say that it probably was goalie interference, just because (the puck) sneaks through my right arm, and (Giroux) kind of has my stick on me. If I'm able to close my arm, the puck isn't going to go anywhere, and it's just no rebound. So that's the thing."
Skinner, though, was also understanding of why the situation room in Toronto might not have seen that his way.
"For somebody to watch that, it's hard for them to tell if they're not a goalie," he said. "You know, from a goalie standpoint, you probably see that a little bit more and understand that it's a little bit tougher situation. If you're not a goalie, you're probably like, 'That probably doesn't affect anything.'"
Dan Muse, now very experienced in losing goaltender interference challenges, shrugged off the latest failed challenge. He and the team are used to handling them by now.
"There's contact there, I felt like it affected the play," Muse said. "The way that he spins, he gets his stick, that impacts the goalie's ability to make the save. The league didn't see it that way. And so we move on. It's a miss. The guys go out there, they kill a penalty, and we continue the game."
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